Container



Dec. 25, 1951 E. G. SCHAEFER 2,579,518

CONTAINER I Filed Dec. 21, 1946 2 Sl-IEETS -SHEET l figwatboraes Dec.25, 1951 SCHAEFER 2,579,518

CONTAINER Filed Dec. 21, 1946 2 SHEETS-SHEET;

55 FIG FIGJ'iO dwarcl C-ischaefer Saverztor b &% g@ Cipher-neg PatentedDec. 25, 1951 UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE Edward G. Schaei'er, News, N.J. Application December 21, 1945, Serial No. 717,640

This invention deals with containers made of flexible material such aspaper, cardboard, flexible plastic, and the like. More specifically, itrelates to the production of two-piece containers having many advantagesover present conventional cartons. j The packages and containers now inuse generally consist of one-piece or two-piece units which are shippedin knocked -downcondition and are provided with hooked flapsinterlocking withcuts made. in the cardboard (whichis the usual materialof construction); The one-piece units, such as the cartons used forindividual packing of pies'and cakes, are provided with a folding lidwhich folds over the top of the box after it has been put together. Twopiece boxes, such as those used for packagin mens suits and ladiesdresses, comprise a small, bottom half and a larger, upper half to fitover the former. These are also shipped in knocked-down condition andrequire assembling by interlocking the conventional flap and cutclosure. I

In order to expedite packaging of purchased products ,.most storesstack, such cartons in semiassembled condition on shelves, and theassembly is completed when the purchased article is placed therein priorto leavingthe store. In the case of the one-piece units, semi-assembledpiles, with lids extended, take up considerable room, and require highshelf space. Ascan be readily seen, pre-assembly of the packages alsotakes time and the folding of the knocked-down cartons with the flap-cutclosure requires careful observation to effect a good closure. Anotherdisadvantage of'present containers is that the four sides do notadequately exhibit all of the productor products contained therein. Forexample, a container of shirts will show only the uppermost shirt unlesstheindividual lifts the pile of shirts contained therein for inspection.Also, when a cake is displayed in such a carton, only the ,top of thecake is exposed and the customer has no means for inspecting the side.Still another disadvantage of present containers is that large dies andvpaper stock are required and separate dies are needed for two piececartons, since the tops are usually larger than the bottoms. In the caseof conventional two-piece boxes having identical tops and bottoms, it isnecessary to press in the corners or sides of the bottom section to'make the top section fit thereover. Hence, considerable manipulationis'required which increases in complexity as the sizes of the boxesincrease.

There are many other disadvantages in the use ofconventional"containers. For instance, a

5 Claims. (Cl. 229-32) s I 2. customer must lift his purchased productout of the box or else break out the sides of the container. In the caseof fragile products such as cakes, etc., there is a chance of breakageand smearing of the fingers with icing and the like.

An object of the present invention is to provide a simple one ortwo-piece container wherein the top and bottom may be identical, therebyrequiring only one die and not involving the confusion ordinarilyencountered with mixing or shortages of tops and/or bottoms Anotherobject is to provide a container having an open side, thereby allowingmore adequate inspection of the product or products contained therein. Afurther object is to provide a closure" for the sides which requires noattention or support While assembling and which may be opened or closedby a mere flicking of the thumb or finger. Still another object is toprovide a container which takes up little shelf room and requires nopro-assembly or semi-assembly and which can be produced with small diesand small-sized paper stocks. An additional'object is to provide acontainer which will not necessitate lifting out of products containedtherein. 7

Other objects will become more apparent from the following descriptionand the accompanying drawings in which Figure '1 is an isometric view ofa glued container of the present invention suitable for window orshow-cas'e'displays, while Figure 2 illustrates a covered container forshipping or carrying. A knocked-down container having a flap-holeclosure of the present invention is shown in Figure 3, and an isometricview of the assembled and locked container of Figure 3 is shown inFigure 4. Various modifications of the closure of the present inventionare shown in Figure 5. In Figure 6 is illustrated a knockeddowncontainer having a double flap-hole lock or closure. When assembled,this container resembles front isometric view 1 and back view 8. Anothermodification of'a container, in knocked down form, and havingdifferentlocking means is shown in Figure 9. Figures 10'and 11 are theback and front views, respectively, of the assembled back of thecontainer shown in Figure 9. Similar numbers refer to similar parts inthe various figures.

Referring again to the drawings, numeral I represents the bottom of thecardboard carton or container, while numerals 2and 3 represent the sidesand numeral 5 designates what might be called the back side, or centerside, or the back of the container. It will be observed, therefore, fromFigure 1'; that the container comprises a bottom I, three sides (2, 3and and a fiap 8 extending for about inch or 1 inch or so from thebottom at the open side. The juncture of the flap with the bottom ispreferably scored, as shown by |2, to facilitate bending upwards of theflap.

In Figure 2 is shown a Z-piece container made up of two identical unitssuch as that shown in Figure 1. Here, a unit such as that shown inFigure 1 is covered by a similar unit which is reversed, placedupside-down, and fitted over the unit of Figure 1, the flap 8' of theupper half projecting over back 5 of the lower half, and similarly, back5 of the upper half fitting into the scoring for flap 8 of the lowerhalf. Sides 2' and 3 of the upper half are fitted alongside sides 2 and3 of the lower half, the fittingbeing-haphazard, it being immaterial'asto which side is on the outside or inside, since a good closure on,

the sides is effected by the double wall. Since the back of one unitcovers the open side of the other, the flap of each unit serves to coverthe open edge which would be otherwise exposed.

It will also be observed that sides 2 and 3 are provided withprojections 6 and 1 which are glued to the back of back 5. They may beglued to the front of the back, but this is not as practical and wouldalso cause themto interfere with stacking. Also, it is possible toprovide the back with side extensions which would glue on sides 2 and 3,but this has been found less desirable since the double wall so formedwould interfere with fitting and slipping over of sides 2 and 3 of thetop unit. When the package is prepared according to'Figure 2, it may becarried that way by hand, or preferably, a string is wound .around theflaps, thus providing a strong, leakproof package.

In Figures 3 and 4, the knocked-down container has base [3 scored alonglines 23, 25, 28 and 29, providing front flap 24, back flap 22, and

sides l4 and I5. These sides have projections I I6 and I! scored at 26and 21 respectively. Projection I5 has a rectangular slot 18 punchedout,

while projection I! has a portion cut out at 2! leaving projecting flap[9- having an angular periphery 2|. These projecting ends IS and H formthe back when the container is'assembled as in Figure 4. In such case,flap 22 is kept within the box to seal off the otherwise exposed edge, Iwhile flap l9 falls in juxtaposition with punched hole I8 and serves asa lock or closure for. the back.

In the closure formed by hole l8 and flap l9, the size of fiap I9 isadjusted so that the angular sections only, extend beyond the peripheryof the rectangular hole l8. Locking is accomplished by poking |9 throughhole IS with the finger, whereupon the cardboard flap l9 becomes some.-what deformed during the operation but recovers The projecting angularedges of the periphery 2| of flap l9 serve to lock flap l9 in hole Blandthus prevent the container from falling apart. The locking is generallyaccompanied by a snap when so its form, substantially after the closureis made.

flap I9 is poked into hole I8 with the finger.

ments are identified by numerals 3|, 33, 35 and 31. It is generallypreferred to maintain a square or oblong shape for the female element,while the male element may be an extending flap as 30, 32, and 34 or itmay be partly undercut into the projecting side, as shown by 33. It ispreferred that the fiap have angular projections on its periphery, andthe size of the flap is adjusted to be the same as that of the slot,except for the projecting angular edges which extend beyond theperiphery of the slot and thus act as looking members.

- I Although one set of locking members is sufficient for smallcontainers, larger containers are more readily handled with two sets asshown in Figures 6-11.v In such case, it is preferred to extend flap22'. to the; height of the box and to cut slots or holes 49 and in thesides of back flap 22' to engage flaps 52 and 53 extending fromprojections 42 and 43 of -sides 39 and 4B which are scored at 45 and.48. It will be observed that flaps 5| and 53 are'undercut at 52. I

In assembling the box shown inknocked-down condition in Figure 6,v sides39 and 40 are bent at the scored boundary with the base, and flap 22 isalso bent at scoring 44, after which projections 42 and 43 are bentaround back flap 22 until flaps 5| and'53 are in juxtaposition overslots 49 and 50. This is done with one side'i'n each hand, so that'afiick of the finger of each hand. pokes the flap through the slot, thusac complishing the locking operation in a simple manner, obtaining theassembled box shown in Figure 7, the back of which is shown in Figure 8.The assembly does not require the attention needed by the conventionalflap-cut closure, since sucha cut isdifiicult'to find in a freshlyknockeddown package. The locking device of the present invention, on theother hand, can be readily assembled while giving attention to thecustomer. or while it is under the counter where lighting is poor.

Although the hole-type slotfis preferred, a slot cutout of the edges. ofthe side, extensions may be'employed, as shown" in Figures, 9-11. Here,the edges of side extensions 42 and 43' have slots 56 which, whenassembled, are disposed at the upper edge ofv the back, Back flap 4| isprovided with rectangular or square shaped flaps 51, cut at sides andhaving lower corner triangular cut-outs 59 for facilitating the movementof the flap, the cuts terminating at points 58 on the back. When slots56' are placed in juxtaposition behind fiaps51, the flapsare pokedf outthrough slots 53,thus engaging sidesj43 of the flaps which actaslo'cking means. The assembled back'then has a'front-view similar tothat shown in Figure 11 and aback view similar to that in Figure 10. v

Although square and oblong boxes are the shape types usually made, thisinvention is not restricted to any particular shapes, since the featurescan be adapted to practically any shape. For example, 'anoblong hatbox.mayfbe made wherein a little less than half of the side is left open,while the base is intact, extending so that a similar unit, reversed andupside-down, may be superimposed thereon in. the manner outlined inFigure 2,, giving a closed container. A flap may be provided as anextensionfrom the base to fold over or snap onto the side of the unitover which it overlaps. It will be observed that, since each unit hasover half of the side portion mounted thereon, the side ends willoverlap when the superimposition occurs. Also, itis possible to althoughsuch an arrangement is not as preferable as that shown. g

It is apparent, therefore, that this invention provides a convenient,simple container which avoids most of the drawbacks of conventionalcontainers and exhibits many new and novel features.

In addition to those already specified, another valuable attribute isthat containers of the present invention allow cutting, as for example,slicing of a cake or pie without removal from the container and thusavoiding concomitant repeated handling. The fact that less die equipmentand smaller paper stock are required effects substantial economies overconventional operations. Since there is no need to hold down the topwhile loading or tying the container, particularly in the case of bakeryboxes, manual manipulation is considerably simplified by the presentinvention. Safety is also emphasized by the use of the new constructionherein described.

In the case of the knocked-down containers of the present invention, thefolding of the scored sides automatically aligns the locking device andthus provides a speed closure means involving a mere push of a finger toefiect the locking operation.

I claim:

1. In a flexible sheet container available in knocked-down conditioncomprising a four-sided fiat bottom with a peripheral edge, theimprovement comprising twooppositely disposed sides extending from theperipheral edge of said bottom, a short flap extending from the frontperipheral edge of the bottom, a fla extending from the back peripheraledge of the bottom, an extension projecting only from the backs of eachof the sides, means on one of said extensions for providing a holecharacterized by a large open center section, and a flap disposed on theother extension, said flap having some dimensions larger than the holeand in juxtaposition therewith when the container is assembled,requiring only poking of said flap through the hole to form, with therear flap, an interlocked back for the container.

2. A container according to claim 1 in which the hole has a four sidedperiphery and the flap has an angular periphery, the angular sections ofwhich extend beyond the periphery of the slot.

3. In a flexible sheet container having a foursided flat bottom with aperipheral edge and three side walls of substantially equal heightextending at right angles from said edge, leaving an open edge portion,said side walls having a substantially even upper edge, the improvementcomprising an extension of the bottom at the open edge,acting as a shortflap extending over the whole length of the open peripheral edge portionand a scoring at the juncture of the bottom edge and said flap to act asan upwardly swinging hinging means for said flap.

4. A container according to claim 3 in which the flap extends for adistance of not over about one inch from the peripheral edge.

5. In a flexible sheet container having a foursided flat bottom with aperipheral edge and three interconnected side walls extending at rightangles from said edge, leaving an open peripheral edge portion on saidbottom, said side Walls having a substantially even upper edge, theimprovement comprising such a unit having a short flap extending overthe whole length of the open peripheral edge portion and hinged thereto,and another such unit superimposed upon the first unit upside-down andin reverse to act as a cover for the first unit and the middle side wallof the superimposed unit acting as a fourth side wall to form a totallyenclosed container, said hinged short flaps of each unit being longenough only to act as an edge sealing means over the edge of each middleside wall, said flaps being positioned outside of the side walls whenthe container is assembled.

EDWARD G. SCHAEFER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,131,075 ODonnell Mar. 9, 19151,150,490 Bingaman Aug. 17, 1915 2,004,098 Andrews June 11, 19352,226,089 Anthony et a1 Dec. 24, 1940 2,316,457 Royce Apr. 13, 1943.

